News Americas, New York, NY, Thurs. Oct. 17, 2024: UK rapper Central Cee, who has Guyanese roots, has made a generous donation of £15,000 to help Umana Yana, a struggling Guyanese restaurant in Southeast London. Central Cee, born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su to a Guyanese father and Scottish mother, was moved to support the business after learning of its challenges through a viral TikTok video.
Umana Yana, located at 294 Croxted Rd, SE24 9DA, has faced difficulties for over a decade, particularly after the installation of five large telecom boxes directly outside the restaurant, which significantly hindered business. The plight of the restaurant’s owners, Debbie Monfries and her husband Junior, gained attention after a journalist shared their story on TikTok, sparking widespread community support.
Upon seeing the viral video, Central Cee visited the restaurant, spending the day learning to cook traditional Guyanese dishes like roti, callaloo, and curry alongside Monfries and her staff. After enjoying a meal of roti and curry, the rapper expressed his admiration for the food, giving it a thumbs-up.
Later, Monfries received a surprise text from Central Cee, announcing his donation of £15,000—£10,000 to help the restaurant install solar panels and an additional £5,000 to support the local community.
Central Cee rose to fame in 2020 with his singles “Day in the Life” and “Loading,” and his career has since soared. His mixtapes Wild West and 23 both debuted in the top two of the UK Albums Chart. In 2022, his single “Doja” became the most streamed UK rap song on Spotify, and in 2023, his collaboration with Dave on “Sprinter” achieved his first UK number-one hit.
See Central Cee cooking HERE
For more on Umana Yana, visit: umanayana.co.uk
